Muntons Irish Style Stout by Beach Bum @ 01, Nov 2007
Brewed with 1kg Dark malt Extract, Stout mix from the local HBS and Nottingham yeast. Fermented at 18-20C. A really fine drop, beautifully dark and rich, mocha coloured head, bitter and tremendous.

Malt Shovel Oatmeal Stout by Beach Bum @ 01, Nov 2007
Combined 2 cans & 250g of lactose up to 22 litres, fermented at low 20's for 12 days then bottled. Has developed into a reasonable beer after 12 months. Has a sweetness and a decent texture, just isn't quite top shelf.

Morgans Golden Sheaf Wheat Beer by Beach Bum @ 30, Dec 2006
Used this as a basis for a Dunkel recipe. Added Morgans Masterblend Wheat, 400g Dextrose, 250g Choc malt steeped, 25g Saaz hops and Brewcellar European Lager yeast. Turned out a super dark wheat beer, with a lovely choc taste, but sweet whaeat beer aroma - jealously guarding what's left.

American Pale Ale by Beach Bum @ 30, Dec 2006
Added 500g LME and 25g Cascade hops with supplied yeast to 22 litres. Very hoppy initially, with lovely pine/citrus flavours. Found it to be very heady but a really good quality kit, especially for any "hopheads".

Muntons Premium Lager by Beach Bum @ 18, Dec 2006
Looking for a Rooftop Red clone. Added 1kg LDM, 250g Carared and 150g Melanoidin grains steeped then boiled the liquid with hersbrucker and saaz hops. Cannot be happier (aside from it not being all that red in colour) as it has resulted in the best kit beer I've done. Not a huge lager fan as a rule, but will be making this one again and again.

Morgans Golden Sheaf Wheat Beer by Beach Bum @ 18, Dec 2006
Attempted Hoegaarden recipe. Added 1kg Dry Wheat Malt, crushed corinader seeds, orange zest, K-97 yeast fermented at low to mid 20's. The result, while a bit too amber in colour for an exact replica, was still a good quality beer. Nice lolly banana aroma. Have since used the kit again. No complaints.

E.S.B Amber Ale Fresh Wort Kit by Beach Bum @ 30, Oct 2006
Just a tremendously good kit really. Made up to 18 Litres, fermented at mid 20's for 9 days, bottled and was drinking well from the 6 week mark. Nutty, hints of caramel, lightly carbonated with a full bodied flavour. A bit expensive, but it's only money.

Coopers Irish Stout by Beach Bum @ 30, Oct 2006
Made with 1kg HBS mix (Dex, Corn Syrup, Dark malt & Licorice Powder) and 300g additional Dex to 20 Litres. Just mixed the lot - didn't prime, so it took roughly 6 months to carbonate, but once it's matured has really been worth the wait. Nice Mocha coloured head, good bitterness and reasonable body. Worthwhile - would benefit from a boil, some steeped Choc malt and more malt though.

Muntons Yorkshire Bitter by Beach Bum @ 11, Aug 2006
Made with 1kg local HBS malt mix, LDM, Corn Syrup & Dextrose) fermented at 24C for 10 days then bottled. So smooth with hints of toffee and caramel after only 3 weeks, it's easy to see why Muntons have such a good reputation. Recommended for the warmer months.

Coopers Sparkling Ale by Beach Bum @ 03, Aug 2006
Used Morgans 1.5kg Amber ME, 300g LDM, 300g Dextrose, 12g East Kent Goldings Hops and re-cultured Coopers Sparkling Yeast. Simmered fermentables in 2 litres of water for 5 mins for then added hops for several mins at flame out. Fermented at mid 20's. From the start this was easily superior to my first attempt at this kit - really benefits from the hops and re-cultured yeast. Has the same fruity aroma of the real thing, better balance with hops and generally a very good quality beer kit.

Brewcraft Newcastle Brown by Beach Bum @ 24, May 2006
Made with 1.5kg Morgans Amber Malt Extract and a Fuggles hop tea bag. Fermented a little high initially, but has turned out very well nonetheless. Sweet, nutty flavours with toffee and caramel hints, very smooth drinking with a great coffee coloured head. Good stuff.

TCB Wetpak - American Pale by Beach Bum @ 19, May 2006
Brilliant drop. Made as per directions but with liquid yeast WLP001. Fermented at low to mid 20's. After 3 weeks it's clear that this is the best of the 12 beers I've brewed, typical APA with its flowery, citrus aroma and great hoppy taste. Cannot recommend highly enough.

Coopers Sparkling Ale by Beach Bum @ 02, May 2006
Made exactly to instructions on the Coopers website. Early on the alcohol taste was quite obvious, but it mellows over time. Very malty (probably too much so for my tastes) and could do with the addition of hops and perhaps a re-cultured Sparkling yeast, but if you can wait, the beer matures into a fine drop indeed. Give it 3 months minimum.

Coopers Australian Pale Ale by Beach Bum @ 20, Apr 2006
1kg LDM & 2 litres water for 20 min boil, then added 12g East Kent Goldings Hops for 10 min rest - into the fermenter with the concentrate and 400g dextrose. Pitched re-cultured PA yeast at 30C....bit high, but life goes on. Made to 20 litres. Fruity aroma and taste with lovely balance between bitterness and malty flavours. Super product and dirt cheap too. Definitely a repeat dose soon.

TCB Wetpak - Old Porter by Beach Bum @ 04, Apr 2006
If this beer is any indication, the good people at TCB are nigh on geniuses. Followed the directions - boiling, steeping, hopping, cooling and using supplied yeast - and the result is an eye opener for those of us who have never tried these 'kits' before. Taste after 6 weeks is brilliant, quite dark for a Porter, but beautiful with smokey/roasted flavours, plenty of body, lovely coffee coloured head and it's not even Winter! Can't recommend highly enough, super keen to try the rest of the Wetpack range now.

Black Rock Whispering Wheat by Beach Bum @ 26, Feb 2006
Attempted Hoegaarden style beer that has little in common with Hoegaarden. Made to 21 litres with 1kg Dry Wheat malt, 25g crushed coriander seeds, the zest of two oranges and safwheat yeast. Fermented at high teens for 2 weeks. Really good mouthfeel, full bodied, nice spicy aftertaste with a distinct orange colour and aroma...too much so initially, but has matured into a beautiful beer, not like Hoegaarden, not like anything in fact, but great drinking nonetheless.

Coopers Pilsener (superseded) by Beach Bum @ 16, Feb 2006
Brewed with 1kg Light LME plus local HBS conversion kit (dry malt, grain and hop mix) boiled for 20 minutes, extra finishing hops added - yeast as supplied. Brewed at low 20's for two weeks, then bottled. Lots of body (hence the name) and quite malty with not a great deal of bitterness, perhaps the pils to have when you prefer ale. Very tasty though. Highly recommended.

E.S.B Bavarian Lager by Beach Bum @ 29, Dec 2005
Made up to 18 litres with saflager yeast. Fermented at mid to high teens for 3 weeks. Not a bad beer, just lacks a certain something, but quite malty and smooth.

Coopers Original Lager by Beach Bum @ 23, Nov 2005
First time brew, according to kit directions although used a saflager yeast @12-14 degrees. Took a while, but after six weeks in the bottle it is finally maturing, great light golden colour, very little sediment, good head retention.......should be a good sessional beer for the warmer weather ahead.